The Social GospelJan 1st, 2013 CommentaryGary GilleyCategories: False Doctrine;The Church

Historian George Marsden writes, "While not necessarily denying the value of the traditional evangelical approach of starting with evangelism, social gospel spokesmen subordinated such themes, often suggesting that stress on evangelism had made American evangelicalism too other-worldly...and individualistic.... Such themes fit well with the emerging liberal theology of the day." The theology of the day was increasing acceptance of Darwinian theories, higher critical attacks on the Bible and Freudian redefining of human nature. In light of these modern challenges to the Bible and conservative evangelical thought, liberal theologians believed Christianity needed to change to survive. That which was unacceptable to modern man, such as the incarnation, the atonement, creationism, inspiration and authority of Scripture, etc., had to be rejected. That which was acceptable and appreciated by the culture was to be retained and emphasized. Western societies had little problem with the social agenda and as time moved forward the church accommodated such thinking. Of course not everyone was in lockstep with the social gospel, but by the turn of the 20th century virtually all the major denominations, schools, seminaries and Christian agencies had been infiltrated by liberal thinking, and by 1920 they had capitulated almost entirely. The test of orthodoxy had shifted from what one believed to how one lived. As Marsden states it, "The key test of Christianity was life, not doctrine."

Bill to avert fiscal cliff heads to HouseLegislation to negate a fiscal cliff of across-the-board tax increases and sweeping spending cuts to the Pentagon and other government agencies is headed to the GOP-dominated House... It would prevent middle-class taxes from going up but would raise rates on higher incomes. It would also block spending cuts for two months, extend unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless, prevent a 27 percent cut in fees for doctors who treat Medicare patients and prevent a spike in milk prices.

Iran test-fires missiles near Strait of HormuzIran's navy says it has test-fired a range of weapons during ongoing maneuvers near the Strait of Hormuz, the passageway for one-fifth of the world's oil supply. The Monday report by the official IRNA news agency quotes exercise spokesman Adm. Amir Rastgari as saying the Iranian-made air defense system Raad, or Thunder, was among the weapons tested.

Iraq cities hit by wave of deadly explosionsAt least 22 people have been killed and tens more injured in a series of explosions across Iraq, officials say. In the deadliest single attack, seven people were killed in the town of Mussayib, to the south of the capital Baghdad. At least two people were killed in the southern city of Hilla when a bomb exploded in a busy street.

Hollande vows to revive French supertaxFrance's President Francois Hollande says he still plans to raise the top rate of income tax after his 75% plan was struck down on technical grounds. In a national address on New Year's Eve, he said the law would be redesigned, adding, "we will still ask more of those who have the most". However, he did not mention the 75% figure, leading some to speculate that the move would be watered down.

Pope new year address deplores rampant capitalismPope Benedict XVI has condemned "unregulated capitalism" for contributing to world tension, in a new year address to worshippers. The Pope also thanked the world's peacemakers and said humanity had "an innate vocation for peace". The Roman Catholic Church leader spoke at a Mass in the Vatican, then greeted a crowd outside St Peter's Basilica.

Pakistan 'frees Afghan Taliban ex-minister Mullah Turabi'Pakistan has freed the Afghan Taliban's ex-justice minister, Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, and three other Taliban prisoners, officials say. Afghan officials have been in talks with Pakistani counterparts to try to free certain Taliban prisoners in order to push forward a peace process. Pakistan released 13 Afghan Taliban members in November.

Netanyahu: We're building a digital Iron DomeIsrael is building a "digital Iron Dome," Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said at the opening ceremony of a new national program to train young people for cyberwarfare Tuesday. "Israel's vital systems are under attack from Iran and other elements. This will only increase as we enter the digital age," Netanyahu stressed, speaking at the Ashkelon Academic College.

Same-sex marriage ceremonies begin in MarylandSame-sex couples in Maryland were greeted with cheers and noisemakers held over from New Year's Eve parties, as gay marriage became legal in the first state south of the Mason-Dixon Line on New Year's Day. James Scales, 68, was married to William Tasker, 60, on Tuesday shortly after midnight by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake inside City Hall.

Pakistan: Seven charity workers shot deadSeven charity workers, six of them women, have been shot dead in north-west Pakistan, police say. The women, some of them teachers, were attacked near a health and education community centre. A male colleague died with them. All were Pakistani citizens.

US Senate passes key deal to avoid tax risesThe US Senate has approved a deal to avert general tax hikes and spending cuts known as the "fiscal cliff". The bill, which raises taxes for the wealthy, came after lengthy talks between Vice-President Joe Biden and Senate Republicans.

Colorado gets members-only clubs for legal pot useWith reggae music pumping in the background and flashing disco-style lights, members of the recreational pot club lit up in celebration of the new year — and a new place to smoke legally among friends. Club 64, in an industrial area just north of downtown Denver, opened at 4:20 p.m. on Monday, with some 200 people signed up. The opening came less than 24 hours after organizers announced they would charge a $29.99 admission price for the bring-your-own pot club.

2012 one of "bloodiest years" for journalists: media bodyA heavy death toll in war zones such as Syria and Somalia made 2012 one of the bloodiest years for journalists, with 121 killed, an international journalists' group said on Monday.

US Hits Borrowing Limit, Moves to Avoid DefaultThe U.S. government is running up against its $16.4 trillion borrowing limit and is taking steps to avoid default. Reaching the limit Monday sets up another dispute between the White House and Congress over taxes and spending in the new year. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says the government will take a series of accounting measures to avoid defaulting on its debt. On Monday, it suspended the issuance of new debt for two government retirement funds. That step won't impact current retirees.

A comet blazing toward Earth could outshine the full moon when it passes by at the end of next year - if it survives its close encounter with the sun.

The recently discovered object, known as comet ISON, is due to fly within 1.2 million miles (1.9 million km) from the center of the sun on November 28, 2013 said astronomer Donald Yeomans, head of NASA's Near Earth Object Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

As the comet approaches, heat from the sun will vaporize ices in its body, creating what could be a spectacular tail that is visible in Earth's night sky without telescopes or even binoculars from about October 2013 through January 2014.

If the comet survives, that is.

Comet ISON could break apart as it nears the sun, or it could fail to produce a tail of ice particles visible from Earth.

Celestial visitors like Comet ISON hail from the Oort Cloud, a cluster of frozen rocks and ices that circle the sun about 50,000 times farther away than Earth's orbit. Every so often, one will be gravitationally bumped out from the cloud and begin a long solo orbit around the sun.

On September 21, two amateur astronomers from Russia spotted what appeared to be a comet in images taken by a 16-inch (0.4-meter) telescope that is part of the worldwide International Scientific Optical Network, or ISON, from which the object draws its name.

"The object was slow and had a unique movement. But we could not be certain that it was a comet because the scale of our images are quite small and the object was very compact," astronomer Artyom Novichonok, one of the discoverers, wrote in a comets email list hosted by Yahoo.

Novichonok and co-discoverer Vitali Nevski followed up the next night with a bigger telescope at the Maidanak Observatory in Uzbekistan. Other astronomers did likewise, confirming the object, located beyond Jupiter's orbit in the constellation Cancer, was indeed a comet.

"It's really rare, exciting," Novichonok wrote.

Comet ISON's path is very similar to a comet that passed by Earth in 1680, one which was so bright its tail reportedly could be seen in daylight.

The projected orbit of comet ISON is so similar to the 1680 comet that some scientists are wondering if they are fragments from a common parent body.

"Comet ISON…could be the brightest comet seen in many generations - brighter even than the full moon," wrote British astronomer David Whitehouse in The Independent.

In 2013, Earth has two shots at a comet show. Comet Pan-STARRS is due to pass by the planet in March, eight months before ISON's arrival.

NASA's Mars Curiosity rover may be able to provide a preview.

Comet ISON is due to pass by the red planet in September and could be a target for the rover from its vantage point inside Gale Crater.

The last comet to dazzle Earth's night-time skies was Comet Hale-Bopp, which visited in 1997. Comet 17P/Holmes made a brief appearance in 2007.

Editors note......Though comets are not a new phenomenon, this would seem to be a rare and unusal event. We are also being surprised by the increasing number of unexpected asteroids which have been passing relatively close to earth. Another strange phenomen that is occuring with increasing frequency and intensity are UFO's. Solar flares are also threatening to cause major disruptions in our world. These would appear to be a sign of the end times. "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring" (Luke 21:25).